University News

The Applied Linguistics program in the University of Memphis’ English Department has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education for $1.3 million to be awarded over the next five years. The grant’s primary objective is to prepare teachers in the Memphis and Shelby County school systems to work with non-native speakers of English.

Grant recipients Dr. Emily A. Thrush and Dr. Teresa S. Dalle will also work with the University’s College of Education to infuse the curriculum with the knowledge and strategies needed by all teachers because of the rapid growth of the ESL (English as a Second Language) population in local K-12 schools.

“English as a Second Language has been identified as a critical area for Tennessee,” said Thrush. “The Teachers GET IT (Teachers Gaining Expertise Together in Training) grant responds to the increasing need for trained ESL teachers in our city and county schools, and for content teachers trained to work with English language learners. Good support for language learning is crucial for students to be successful in school and become productive members of the community.”

Added Dalle, “The Teachers GET IT grant provides an opportunity for outreach to the community as the University works with city and county teachers to develop means of accommodating English learners in content areas. The courses also address the increasing need for teachers trained in English as a Second Language.”